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A. EPPLER.

WELT GROOVING AND BEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I2. ISIS. 1,309,567. Patented July 8,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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A. EPPLER.

WELT GnoovlNG AND BEVELING MAcmNE.

Patented July 8, 1919.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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A. EPPLER.

WELT GRoovlNG AND BEVEUNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. l2. 1918. 1,309,567. Patented July 8,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Tm: commun PLANonnM'H co.. wASMlNu'ruN, n. c.

A. EPPLER.

WELT GR.oov|NG AND BEVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I2. ISIS. 1,809,567. Patented July 8,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. EPPLER.

WELT GROOVING AND BEVELING MACHINE.

APPLlcAIoN msn Aus.12.|9xa.

1,309,567. Parental July 8, 1919.

n Y n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW EPPLER, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

WELT GROOVING AND BEVELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flled August 12, 1918. Serial No. 249,386.

'b cN ffl/tom.. it may conce/rn Be it known that I, ANDREW Errnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velt Grooving and Beveling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to welt grooving and beveling machines, and more particularly to machines of this type employed .in connection with the preparation of welting for use in the manufacture of Goodyear' welt shoes. l

Machines of this type form a groove 1u the flesh side of the welting strip for the reception of the inseam stitches, and it is not only of importance that the portion of the welting lying between the bottom of the groove and the grain side through which the stitches pass be maintained substantially uniform in thickness, but it is also of importance that the groove extend continuously the length of the weltino strip and be of sufficient depth throughout to properly receive the stitches independently of any considerable variations in the thickness of the welting strip.

Accordingly, an object of the present 1nvention is to produce an improved welt greoving and beveling machine whereby a continuous groove of adequate depth throughout the length of the welting strip, for the reception of the inseam stitches, can be formed in such a manner that the portion of the welting strip lying between the bottom of the groove and the grain side through which the stitches pass can be mamtained at an adequately uniform thickness independently of any considerable varian tions in the thickness of the welting strip.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for actuating an edge guide for the welting strip as it passes through the machine, and by which the welting is efficiently guided without danger of buckling or otherwise cramping the we lting by excessive pressure exerted on 1ts edges.

lVith these and other objects in view the arious features vof the invention consists in certain novel. features of construction,

combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed, the advantages of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat ing the preferred form of the invention, Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the head of a welt grooving and beveling machine embodying my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged vertical and horizontal sectional views respectively taken ou the lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line ll--fl of Fig. 3, looking from the rear of the machine; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. ll; and Fig. 6 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 3, but with parts shown in horizontal section.

The welt grooving and beveling machine illustrated in the drawings has substantially the same general construction and mode of operation as the machine shown in the patent t0 Morrill` No. 1,201,897, dated November 141-` 1916. The welting strip to be acted upon is led from; one of the holders or troughs 10, 10 over a guide roll ll, through a guide 12, and between a feed roll 14 and a coperating work supporting roll 16. As the welting reaches the bite of the feed and supporting rolls it is acted upon by a grooving knife 18 and a bevel-knife 20, and passes down through a revolving coiling tube 22 by which it is formed into a coil at the hase of the machine frame. The feed roll 14 is mounted in fixed bea rings in the machine frame and the supporting roll 16 is mounted in bearings in a carrier 24 which is slidably mounted in the machine frame. A coil spring 26 is mounted between an adjusting screw 28 in the machine frame and carrier 24 to yieldingly press the support.- ing roll toward the feed roll to clamp the welting between them. Vhile the welting is being grooved and beveled it is held against an inner edge guide 29 by means of an outer edge guide 30, which is slidably mounted in the carrier 24. To open up the machine to permit welting to be easily threaded therethrough, the carrier 24 may be shifted by a hand lever 31 to move the supporting roll away from the feed roll and at the same time withdraw the outer edge guide from the inner edge guide. The parts above described may have the same. construction and mode of operation as the parts shown and described in the patent referred to, and reference is hereby made to said patent for a detailed 'description of these parts.

In the illustrated embodiment of the'invention said troughs l0, l0 for the rolls of welting strips are formed in the upper portion of a holder 32, which holder is pivoted at 84 to the machine frame to enable the operator to severally-bring troughsr 10, 10 into a'linement with the guide 12 and the welting engaging'portions of the feed rolls of the machine, lthereby permitting the feed rolls to draw a welting strip from its f trough without detlecting the strip sidewise. The holder 82is retained inthe desired positions by aspring pressed detent85 mountedthere'- in engaging one of the sockets 86, `36 in the machine frame (Figs. l and The welting is positioned, as it passes between the feedV and'supporting rolls, so that one edge-projects beyond the forward ends ofthe rolls. This projecting edge -of the welting is supported on one side by a work support 88 (Figs. .l Aand 3). It is of importance that the work support bemaintained in a lixed position withrelation tothe yieldingly mounted supporting` roll. Accordingly, I form the work support on a plate 42 secured to the front of the supporting roll carrier 24.A The surface of the work support is concentric with and forms a continuation of the surface of the supporting` roll and extends circumferentially tothe bite of the rolls or to a plane passing through thel axes of vboth rolls;

i' Thel means yfor `actuating the outer ledge guideBO comprises a plunger 44 (Fig. 3) mounted in an aperture in the frame of the machine and pressed-outwardly against the arm 46 `of lever 48 by a spring 50, the tension of which spring :is made adjustable by the screw 52 threaded into said aperture.` The lever 48 is pivoted on a stud 54zon the supportingv rol carrier, rand the `movement thereof by the plunger i-n one. direction is limited by an arm :thereof engaging an adjustable stop screw 56 threaded into said carrier. The lever 48 is connected to Lan arm 58 of a lever '60 through a comparatively light spring 62 mounted on a screw 64 threaded into lthe arm 58 and extending loosely through an aperture in an arm of `the lever 48. .The -lev'er 60 is pivoted on said stud 54 above the lever 48 and the end of its arm 58 engages a re- Cess in theend of the shank 66 of' tliewedgc guide 30. Siaidshank 66 extends rearwardly from the edge guide 30 and is slidably mountedinthe bearing 68 on the supporting roll carrier. The spring 62 which, through the larm -58 and shank66, tends to .press the edge `guide 30 toward the inner edge guide 29, is of-suitablestrength to'causefthe Weltfing to be eiliciently guided without danger of buckling or cramping the welting. lli/hen the supporting roll carrier 24 is actuated to separate the rolls 14 and i6, an arm of the lever engages a stud. 72 on the machine frame thereby swinging said lever suiiiciently to effect the desired amount of retraction of guide 80. The guide 80 is returned to its effective position by the action of the plunger spring 50..

The outer edge guide 30 and its operative connectionsy may be adjusted .to different width welting strips so as to permit the edge guide by the action of spring 62 to exert the desired amount of yielding pressure on the different width welting strips. This adjustment is effected by means of the. adjustable stop screw 56 which is adapted to be turned to vary the Ilimit to which the outer edge guide 80 is moved by the action of the plunger spring 50.

It hasheretofore been proposed to form a groove in .a welting strip of a uniform depth throughout its length. ,This is objectionable, however, in case any considerable variations occur in the thickness of the welting strip, on account of the resulting variations in thickness of the portion of the weltlinglying between the bottom of groove and the grain side through which the stitches pass. It has-alsobeen proposed to form the groove of a depth varying with the variations in thickness of the-,welting strip, thereby leaving said portion of the welting` through which the stitches pass of a uniform thickness throughout, but it has been found that vthis `effects little or no grooving of the thinner portions of welting varying considerably in thickness. To avoid these objectionable features, the mechanism for operating the grooving knife of the illustrated machine is controlled by the variations in .thickness of the strip of welting in such a manner that the grooving knife is caused to effect the grooving of the welting` to a depth varying directly with the variations in thickness of the welting but to a less degree. Both the depth of the groove and the thickness of the material at the bottom of the groove are thus varied when variations occur in the thickness of the welt strip. The variations thus effected in the depth of the groove and in the thickness of t-he material at the ybottom of the groove, however, are not :sufficient t0 objectionally .affect the welting even `when the welting varies considerably in thickness. To effect the desired grooving of the welting strip, the grooving knife is mounted on and about midwayl loe-` grooving knife is moved back and forth with the work supporting roll when variations occur in the thickness of the welting strip, but such movement of the grooving knife will be less in extent than the correspomling` movement of the work supporting roll and its carrier, because the cutting edge of the grooving knife is at a less distance from the pivot of the depending leverl 7G than the point of connection of the carrier and depending lever from said pivot, thereby effecting the desired minute variations in the depth of the groove formed by the grooving knife relative to the variations in thickness of the welting strip.

The grooving knife is mounted for lateral adjustment by being secured to a slide 86 mounted on a block 87 formed on the dependinvlever. The adjusting movement of the slide 86 is effected by means of a screw 90 threaded into an aperture in said block and having a reduced portion of its head engaged lby a yoke 92 on the slide.

In order to vary the general depth of the groove, the grooving knife may be moved by the depending lever toward and from the work supporting roll by adjusting the link 80, which link is made longitudinally adjustable by means of the turnbuckle 94.

The movement of the grooving knife and the depth of the groove formed by the grooving knife is indicated on a dial 96 at the upper right hand corner of the front of the frame of the machine by a pointer 98 pivoted at 100 on the frame and having a depending arm 101 thereof operatively connected by a link 102 to the depending lever 7G.

The beveling knife 20 (Figs. 1, 3, 5 and 6) is adjustably mounted in the usual clamp 103 carried by a slide 104i, and is arranged to act upon the Welt at the bite of the rolls beneath the support 38. The slide 101i is mounted in a block 106 and is adapted to be moved therein to laterally adjust the ibeveling knife by means of a screw 108 threaded into an aperture in said slide and having a reduced portion of its head in engagement with a yoke 110 on the block 10G. The block 106 is vertically pivoted on a bracket 112 projecting from the plate 42, and said block may be swung outwardly on its pivot to permit inspection of the welting at the point of operation and to allow the knives to be sharpened and adj usted without dismantling the machine. The bracket 112 has the spring pressed detent 114 to engage a socket er aperture 110 in the block 106 to lock the latter in operative position. The block 106 carries the inner edge guide 29.

To permit inspection of the welting during the operation of the machine and after the welting has passed the knives but be it has entered the guide S22, a finger 117 (Figs. 1 and 3) is pivoted on a stud 118 on the frame of the machine and is normally held out of engagen'ient with the welting by a coiled spring 11S). The operator may readily swing this linger to bring the welting into view to inspect the work.

While the features described above are well adapted for use in the type of machine illustrated in the drawings, it is to be understood that except as defined in the claims certain features of thel invention are not limited to use in a machine embodying any or all of the other features.

The preferred form of the invention having been thus described, what is claimed is:

1. In a machine for preparing welting. the combination of means for supporting a welting strip of varying thickness, with n'ieans for forming a `groove in the welting strip of a depth varying directly but to a less degree with the variations in thickness of the welting strip.

2. A machine for preparing` welting having. in combination, a feed roll to act on a welting strip of varying thickness mounted in lixed bearings, a cooperating work supporting roll, a carrier for the work supporting roll movable toward and from the feed roll, and a. grooving knife actuated through movement of the carrier as the welting` strip is being fed by the rolls to effect Athe formation of a groove in the welting strip of a depth varying directly but to a less degree with the variations in thickness of the welting strip.

3. A machine for preparing welting having, in combination, a feed roll to act on a welting strip mounted in fixed bearings, a cooperating work supporting roll, a carrier for the work supporting roll movable toward and from the feed roll, a lever pivoted at one end on a fixed stud and connected at its other end to the carrier, and a grooving knife to act on the welting strip mounted on the lever.

4. A machine for preparing welting having. in combination, a feed roll to act on a welting strip lmounted in ixed bearings, a cooperating work supporting roll, a carrier for the work supporting roll movable, toward and from the feed roll. a depending lever pivoted on a fixed stud and connected at its lower end by an adjustable link to the carrier, and a grooving knife to act on the welting strip mounted on the depending lever.

5. A machine for preparing welting having, in combination, a feed roll to act on a welting strip mounted in fixed bearings, a coperating work supporting roll, a carrier for the work supporting roll movable toward and from the feed roll, a grooving knife to form a groove in the welting strip connected to the carrier so as to be moved thereby, a dial, and a pointer connected te the grooving knife to indicate on the dial the depth of the groove formed by the grooving knife.

o6. A machine for preparing Welting having, in combination, means for supporting a welting strip, an edge guide for the vvelting strip, a spring for moving the edge guide toward the Welting strip', a stop for limiting the movement of the edge guide by the action of the spring, and a relatively light spring to sustain the edge guide in yielding engagement With the Welting strip.

7. A machine for preparing vvelting having, in combination, means for supporting a ,welting strip, an edge guide for the Welting strip, means for moving the edge guide toward the Welting strip, a stop for limiting said movement of the edge guide toward the Welting strip, a relatively light spring to sustainthe edge guide in yielding engagement with the welting strip, and means for retracting the edge guide.

8. A machine for preparing vvelting having, in combination, means'for supporting a Welting strip, an edge guide for the Welting strip, a spring actuated lever to move `the edge guide toward the Welting strip, a stop for limiting the movement of the edge guide by said lever, a spring `disposed betvveen the v edge guide and said lever to sustain the edge guide in yielding engagement With the Welting strip, and means including said lever for positively retracting the edge guide.

9. A machine for preparing Welting having, in combination, feed rolls for feeding a Welting strip, means for moving one of the rolls toward and from the other, lan edge guide for the vvelting strip, a lever connected to the edge guide, means to actuate the lever to move the edge guide toward .the vvelting strip, `an adjustable stop Lfor limiting the movement of the edge guide bysaid lever, a spring disposed between the edge guide and said lever to sustain the edge guide in yielding engagement with the Welting strip, and means actuated by said means for moving one of the feed rolls to retract lthe 4kedge guide. f

Y 10. A machine for Apreparing Welting having, in combination, a feed roll, `a coperating Work supporting roll, means for guiding a Welt strip with one edge projecting beyond the endsof the rolls, a Work support for the projecting edge of the Welting having a Welt supporting surface concentric With the surface of the Work supporting roll, a beveling knife, a knife blockfor said beveling knife `mounted to move relative to said supnort about a pivot substantiallynormal to a plane passing through the axes of the rolls,

and means for holding said'block in operative position.

11. In a machine for preparing Welting, the combination With feed rolls for feeding `a Welting strip, and a knife to act on the arranged to receive the vvelting strip and to permit its passage therethrough, and a pivoted finger disposed between the feed rolls and the guide and adapted to be moved to deflect aportion of the `vvelting strip out- Wardly.

13. A machine for Lpreparing vvelting having, in combination, means for supporting a Welting strip, and means for forming a groove in the Welting strip While leaving the material at the bottom of the groove of a `thickness varying directly With the thickness of the Welt'ing strip but to a less extent.

14. A machine for preparing Welting having, in combination, means for supporting a Welting strip, means for forming a groove in the Welting strip, and means for varying both the depth ofthe groove .and the thickness of the material at the bottom of the groove When the Welting strip vvaries in thickness. r

, ANDREW Errnnn Gopies Vofthis patent .maybe obtained 4forxiverents, each, by addressing the vConimissoner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

